The present invention relates to a device for gripping an animal related means, comprising a base portion adapted to be connected to a robot arm, and an image capturing means provided with a housing and a lens having a viewing axis, said image capturing means being arranged on said base portion.
It also relates to an apparatus for performing an animal related operation, comprising a robot arm, and a device for gripping an animal related means, said device being connectible to said robot arm, and furthermore an image capturing device.
Such a device and such an apparatus are known from WO 97/15900, according to which the image capturing device is arranged on the robot arm or on the device. The viewing axis of the lens of the image capturing device is the same as the longitudinal extension of the robot arm.
The therein described apparatus and device suffers from a drawback in that when attaching a teatcup onto a rear teat, a front teat may partly or completely obstruct viewing of the rear teat, resulting in that the attachment of the teatcup may fail.
It is thus the object of the invention to obtain an improved apparatus and an improved device, which are better adapted to perform animal related operations.
The object has been achieved by a device of the initially defined kind, which is characterised in that alteration means are provided for allowing said viewing axis to be altered, wherein said alteration means comprises a hinge means and a driving means for allowing said image capturing means to be pivoted about said hinge means.
It has also been achieved by an apparatus of the initially defined kind, which is characterised in that said image capturing device is adapted to be pivoted in relation to said robot arm.
By the device and the apparatus according to the invention, it is possible to move the robot arm to a position where a front teat does not obstruct the view while e.g. attaching a teatcup onto a rear teat. This is particularly important regarding cows having teats with a narrow intermediate space (less than 10 cm). Furthermore, it is possible to move away from a lower part of the udder beside the teat, or from the belly, in cases when the lower part of the udder or the belly obstructs the movement of the robot arm, in particularly in cases where a housing of a teat locating device, such as an image capturing device, is mounted on top of the robot arm.
Preferably, the housing of said image capturing means is rigidly arranged on said base portion. Hereby, a fixed relation between the base portion and the image capturing device is achieved.
Suitably, said base portion comprises a gripper portion and a connector portion.
Preferably, the housing of said image capturing means is arranged on said connector portion. Alternatively, the housing of said image capturing means is arranged on said gripper portion.
Suitably, said gripper portion is connected to said connector portion via said hinge means. Hereby, said gripper portion is pivotably arranged in relation to said connector portion.
Preferably, said base portion is provided with said hinge means at a connection point adapted to be connected to said robot arm.